Since we're getting rid of deadweight like Olberto, why not do a complete housecleaning? Rouse is now hitting .122, with a fungus-like OBP of .204. We could put CC in for 1 game a week and he'd hit better. Any ball hit his way would never get past him. It's physically impossible.

Inglett's been hitting good for most of the year at Buffalo. He did the job for us last year.

Hoover wrote:Since we're getting rid of deadweight like Olberto, why not do a complete housecleaning? Rouse is now hitting .122, with a fungus-like OBP of .204. We could put CC in for 1 game a week and he'd hit better. Any ball hit his way would never get past him. It's physically impossible.

Inglett's been hitting good for most of the year at Buffalo. He did the job for us last year.

So why is Rouse still with the Tribe?

That one's actually easy: Inglett can't play 3B and Luna and Rivas can't play defense.

As long as you're not expecting your UIF to hit, Rouse isn't nearly the drag on the roster that guys like Nixon, Dellucci, and Hernandez are/were.

Yeah, Rouse is just a backup. We have an eastablished infield at 3B, SS, and 2B with guys who are unquestioned regulars. If would be different if we were platooning at one of the positions and Rouse was hitting like that. Bottom line, he is strictly a backup, plays maybe once a week, is the best available defensive infield option out of the utility guys in the system, and has decent speed off the bench.

I'm no Rouse big fan, but he isn't hurting us all that much. Besides, if you dump Rouse, who else is Buff gonna wax poetic about?

BTW, amazing how "fungus" has become part of the regular C-Sports rhetoric....you done good Buffum. An article idea for you or for discussion on these boards: "The Indians All-Fungus Team".

Hoover wrote:Since we're getting rid of deadweight like Olberto, why not do a complete housecleaning? Rouse is now hitting .122, with a fungus-like OBP of .204. We could put CC in for 1 game a week and he'd hit better. Any ball hit his way would never get past him. It's physically impossible.

Inglett's been hitting good for most of the year at Buffalo. He did the job for us last year.

Yes, Inglett has played just about everywhere on the field. But, he is a pretty crappy defensive player, particularly on the left side of the infield. He is useable at 2B.....but your utility infielder, particularly when the infield has set starters, arguably needs to have more a defensive presence than an offensive one. If the offense comes with the defense, so be it. But, defense is a must.

Where is this coming from? Scouts? Wedge? I just did a bit of research on Inglett, and there's no indication he's bad at SS or 3B. He's never played 3B for the Tribe and he only played 1 errorless game at SS in 06. He's never had a chance to prove he's good or bad.

However he spent alot of time in the AFL last year honing his SS skills. His reward was Beefalo. While Rouse is stinking it up at the plate, we got a perfectly usable guy wasting time in AAA. Doesn't make sense, unless there's some other reason Inglett is being kept there. Doesn't look like the main problem is his fielding.

We shouldn't have one dead spot in the lineup. If we lose 1 or 2 games because of Rouse, that's too much. At the end of the year, if we finish 1 or 2 back of Detroit, it will suck, and Rouse's crappy hitting will be a factor.

A lot of people ask, "Why is Marte in Buffalo and Rouse still in the bigs?" And the answer is rather simple: We are still sculpting a promising, somewhat freak of a nature type player in Marte. We aren't satisfied with where he is at the moment and he'll get all of the detailing and personal one on one time in Buffalo. Rouse? Why would he go to Buffalo? He's about 30 years old, yes? There's no sculpting him - is what he is. It would do us no good to have Marte platooning with Blake and having to figure things out on his own. Meanwhile, Rouse would hurt Buffalo. Rouse is on this roster because he was cheap, he's supposedly solid in the field, and he plays the least used backup role on the team. Rouse, also, has little, little MLB experience (some with Oak). The minors are not a place where we send "bad players". It's a place to develop and Rouse is 100 percent developed...he's just not very good.

Alvaro Espinoza was a guy who played sparingly and pinch ran a lot. He backed up Jim Thome, who was a younger version of Csey Blake before he blew up and became a 1st baseman. Alvaro was better than Rouse, but the role was much the same (although Alvaro played more and contributed more) and that was 30 somethings who have hit a wall, but can play for peanuts and hustle their butts off...and also give you a start once every two weeks.

What I do not take kindly to is Rouse, Nixon, and DD being in the same lineup. That should NEVER happen again. Casey Blake doesn't need days off and should play rf some, too. Then again, Marte needs to come back for that to happen.

It's not a case of Rouse being the more well-rounded fielder. We would, in that situation, just have to call up Hector Luna (who could probably also play 3rd if he had to). Big deal. Is Luna a dropoff from Rouse? Is anyone? We call up Luna, as our utility guy, and that costs us another OF such as Fransisco. See, this is why Shapiro should have combined the purses of Dellucci and Nixon (7 mil) and bought a switch hitting 50 HR hitting guy like...uh...like...the Mick?

Right now, it just looks like we cannot afford to lose anyone at any position and actually, your argument for 2nd base is taken by me whole-heartedly. All I am trying to argue is that if Marte was called up, I would cut/ship out Rouse and call up Luna because he can do everything that Rouse is doing. Rouse is better in the field, but no way does Luna only have 6 hits in the duty he would see. Plus, I'd be a helluva lot more comfortable with Hector hitting with 2 outs and RISP as opposed to Quantum Leap star, Mike Rouse (who also played the character of "Paul Blake" in Necessary Roughness). As I said, we'd lose an OF in this case, meaning that Jason Michaels or Trot Nixon would play everyday. Eh...blah, blah, blah...bottom line: Very doubtful that we lose the AL Central/Wildcard due to getting rid of Mike Rouse and losing a corner OF so that we can have both Marte and Luna.

TribeinLA wrote:All I am trying to argue is that if Marte was called up, I would cut/ship out Rouse and call up Luna because he can do everything that Rouse is doing. Rouse is better in the field, but no way does Luna only have 6 hits in the duty he would see.

But that is the difference. Luna is a BUTCHER in the field. And a truck on the basepaths. To be a good utility guy, you not only need to be versatile, but you have to play pretty good defense and have a little speed to be used as a pinch runner later in games. All advantages there go to Rouse. The ability to hit is a bonus, and about 4th on that list.

I'd like to see Rouse go as well, but not for alternatives such as Luna.

And, we are better off right now with Blake at 3B and Francisco up here as an extra outfielder. At least the team is more athletic in that regard.